| Graduation Year | Class of 1931 |
| Date of Passing | Oct 23, 2010 |
| About | WINCHESTER, VA: Mrs. Esther Norman Dix, of Winchester, VA, formerly of Zanesville, OH, died Saturday, October 23, 2010, at Westminster Canterbury finding her "soft place to land". If Esther had a theme song, it would be ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE, ELIMINATE THE NEGATIVE. She would most like to be remembered by her favorite phrase: A JOY THAT IS SHARED IS A JOY MADE DOUBLE. Esther was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1913, the daughter of Imri and Mary Norman. She graduated with honors from Zanesville High School in 1931. She then attended Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio, and returned to Zanesville, where she joyfully taught for 38 years. At age 50, she was proud to earn her bachelor's degree from Muskingum College. Esther taught not only elementary students but also instructed many teachers in workshops at local colleges throughout her long tenure as an educator. Esther married David C. Dix on July 8, 1942, before he served in England and France during WWII. At first, the marriage was kept a secret since female teachers in Ohio were not allowed to continue teaching if they had married. The local school board, however, met in special session and changed the rule, which resulted in statute revisions across the state of Ohio and the country. She was honored as the Jennings Scholar for "outstanding and creative teaching", inspiring many students, including her two daughters, Mary K. and Susan to become educators. After her retirement, Esther loved working as a receptionist and school tour guide at the Zanesville Art Center and as a volunteer at Bethesda Hospital. She was a member of the Muskingum County Community Foundation, the Beaux Arts Club, the Pioneer and Historical Society, the All Around Club, and Grace United Methodist Church in Zanesville. At age 92, she became a member of First Presbyterian Church in Winchester. Esther was preceded in death by her husband, David; by her sisters, Kathryn, Eleanor, and Virginia; and by her brother, Bill. She is survived by daughter, Mary K. Armstrong and her husband, Dr. Jack Armstrong of Winchester, daughter, Susan Dix Clymer and her husband, Carl Clymer of Atlanta, GA; five grandchildren, Andrew J. Armstrong, Matthew C. Armstrong, Katherine E. Armstrong, Jessica Clymer Smith, and Brent Clymer; six great grandchildren, Hannah, Ian, and Drew Armstrong, Ethan, Olivia, and Adam Smith. A celebration of Esther's life via her "Bon Voyage" will be held on Friday, November 27, 2010, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Armstrong Residence, Launchris Drive. Interment will be in Zanesville Memorial Gardens in Zanesville, OH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Esther N. and David C. Dix Family Scholarship Fund at Shenandoah University, 1460 University Drive, Winchester, Virginia 22601-5195, First Presbyterian Church of Winchester, 116 S. Loudoun Street, Winchester, Virginia 22601, Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, Virginia 22601, or the Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury Employee Fund, Westminster Canterbury Drive, Winchester, Virginia 22603. Local arrangements are being handled by Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel, Winchester, Virginia |
